Blue Skies
by Lost in a Wonderland
Summary: AU / When single mother Naminé Sakka meets the rich but lonely Roxas Hikari, things are bound to get interesting. Especially when Roxas employs Naminé as his live in maid and Naminé's ex-fiancé shows up. Oh well. Happy endings are overrated.
1. The Maid and the King

**Disclaimer: Does anyone actually read these things? I think we all know I don't own Kingdom Hearts. *sulks in emo corner***

* * *

_ONE :_ The Maid and the King

* * *

Naminé fingered a pale blond strand and stared out the large windows that covered most of the walls. She could hear the chatter of the other people in the restaurant as they ate. Laughs filled the air, and the atmosphere was a happy one.

Naminé huffed and wiped the sweat off her brow. Summer was always hot in Radiant Garden, but this year, they were going through a heatwave. In fact, the heatwave was so bad, some air conditioners actually overheated and broke. Luckily, Castle Oblivion's air conditioning still worked, but that meant more people were coming in just because they needed to be cooled down and not because they wanted to buy something.

Which made Naminé extremely bored.

"Um, excuse me?" Naminé turned her attention to a couple that had walked in, their faces alight with happiness.

"Can I help you?" Naminé asked politely.

The girl scrunched her nose and studied the glowing menu boards. "Hm... I think I'll have... Oh, is the coffee here as good as the coffee at The World that Never Was?"

The World that Never Was was one of the most popular restaurants in Radiant Garden, and Castle Oblivion was part of the chain. It did sell more beach-suited food, though, since it was near the beach.

Naminé shrugged. "I think you'll have to be the judge of that."

The girl grinned. "I suppose that's true. Alight, I'll have some sea-salt ice cream."

"Me too," added her boyfriend.

Naminé smiled at them and opened the freezer to take out two sea-salt ice cream bars. She gave them to the couple, who handed her some money in return.

"Keep the change," the girl said, winking. She ripped the wrapper off her bar and took a huge bite out of it.

"Whoa, slow down," the guy said, laughing.

"Oh, shut up," the girl replied, elbowing him. "You still eat more than I do."

Naminé couldn't help but smile sadly as she watched them bicker. She could still remember the days where she was like that – completely and hopelessly in love. Then, reality crashed down on top of her and destroyed the happy memories forever.

The two left to find a table, but not before the girl turned around and shouted, "Thank you!" Naminé laughed a bit and waved at her. For some reason, just being around the girl made her somewhat happy. It was just the air of happiness that surrounded her, Naminé supposed.

The rest of the day passed slowly, like Naminé was crawling through thick chocolate. People came in and out, and soon, the sun was setting and it was time for her to go.

She hummed under her breath as she untied her apron and pulled on her coat. While summer days were hot in Radiant Garden, summer nights were surprisingly cold. Naminé blamed global warming.

She signed out and left through the back door, since there were still people in the front. As soon as Naminé stepped out, she was immediately greeted with a blast of cold air that had her shivering a little bit. The fact that her coat was pretty thin did not help either.

But Naminé didn't care. The cold was a welcome relief from the heat during the day.

Naminé breathed in and smiled. The sun was sinking below the waves, causing the nearby clouds and the water to become a pretty orange-red colour. Some people in the heart of the city had already turned their lights on.

Radiant Garden was separated into what was known as Hollow Bastion and the actual city (or Radiant Garden). But Hollow Bastion was basically a nicer way of saying "the slums," where it was a struggle to find work and the houses were all old and decaying. Many of the people living there spent the little money they had on drugs and other useless stuff.

Radiant Garden was a huge contrast, however. Unlike the bleakness of Hollow Bastion, Radiant Garden shone. Most of the city was pretty suburbs with well-kept lawns and big backyards, but the very heart of the city was home to many skyscrapers and the castle, where the King of Radiant Garden used to live before he was overthrown by the people. Now, it was Radiant Garden's biggest tourist attraction.

Naminé loved passing by the castle. She often took the long way just so she could look at it. It was amazing no matter what time of day it was. During the day, its white walls shone from the sunlight. At night, it was lit up with lights against a backdrop of stars.

Naminé hummed as she rounded the corner and stopped in front of the castle. Its walls were a pretty orange from the light of the sun. Some lights were already on, meaning it was later than she thought it was. Naminé probably could have stood there for hours, but remembered her destination.

* * *

Roxas opened the elaborate front doors, revealing a spotless and _quiet_ mansion. He sighed and threw his coat onto the chair near the door and his keys onto the little side table.

Growing up in a very loud household filled with servants and annoying siblings, Roxas had never been used to silence. He might have been more quiet than his more outgoing brothers, but his twin Sora made up for it. The brunette would always be shouting at the top of his lungs. It was like he had a permanent _ON _switch.

He could still remember the times when he just wanted to be alone and Sora would come barging into his room (or the living room, or the media room, or wherever he was. His twin was able to find him no matter where he was, which was both creepy and convenient), screaming about something or another (honestly, there were too many excuses to count) and his blissful silence would shatter right before his eyes.

Sora would always get a good pillow in the face as payback, which would lead to another shouting match that his siblings would join sooner or later.

Needless to say, the maids and butlers had had a heck of a time dealing with them. And they had probably been even more loud as babies.

And Roxas missed that. Growing up, he would have given anything for his brothers and sister to just _shut up_ for a few seconds. But now, he wished they would come barging in and loudly demand food or something.

Anything was better than silence.

Roxas sighed and stretched his arms as he walked into the kitchen. As usual, there was dinner waiting for him on the table since his cook had already gone home. Roxas was always home too late for them to cook hot dinners for him, but he needed cooks since he was hopeless when it came to cooking.

After the food was done heating, Roxas settled down for a dinner for one. The large, table-for-eight seemed so big and empty. In fact, Roxas questioned why he even bought a large dining table if he was going to be the only one eating.

He could practically _hear_ Sora's voice saying, _"You need a girlfriend!"_ or _"You have to get out more."_

_Ugh, twin brothers._

But Roxas had to admit, Sora was somewhat right.

The blond frowned and got up. He decided that he would eat at The World that Never Was, where his friend Axel worked. It was louder and more fun there anyway, and he wouldn't be eating alone.

With that thought in mind, Roxas changed and left the empty mansion.

* * *

Naminé loved walking through downtown. The skyscrapers there were always so tall.

The tallest skyscraper was definitely the Kingdom Hearts building. It was at least several meters taller than the castle, which was saying something since the castle was quite tall. There was a large, yellow stylized heart on the side, making it stand out from most of the other buildings.

Naminé didn't really like Kingdom Hearts, since the company made weapons for the army. It was founded a long time ago by the Hikari family, and they still control it to this day. She had never really like violence, so obviously, war wouldn't appeal to her. Naminé preferred to reach a conclusion through peaceful means. Besides, her father had died because of war.

Naminé felt tears sting the back of her eyes, forcing her to blink really quickly so they wouldn't fall. She banished thoughts about her family from her head as she reached _Aerith's Flowers_.

Radiant Garden was a beautiful place, partly because of all the flowers. There were so many different kinds and so many different colours. They made for great pictures too. But out of all the flower shops in the city, Aerith's Flowers were the best and most beautiful. Of course, Naminé was a little biased.

The bell _ding_ed when Naminé opened the door, causing her friend Aerith to look up from the flower arrangement she was making. Aerith smiled brightly when she saw it was Naminé, and waved her over.

"Hello Naminé," Aerith greeted.

"Hi Aerith," Naminé replied, smiling.

Naminé had met Aerith when she stumbled upon a beautiful old church filled with flowers in Hollow Bastion. Despite the fact that it was just as old and destroyed as the other buildings in Hollow Bastion, it shone like the buildings in Radiant Garden. Aerith had been tending to the flowers, and had helped Naminé sort out her problems.

It had been a dark time in her life when Naminé first met Aerith. Her life had started falling apart at the seams, but Aerith managed to help her back up. Since then, the two of them had been good friends.

"How was work?" Aerith asked.

Before Naminé could answer, a little blur of silver ran over and attached itself onto her legs. "Mommy!" the blur cried.

Naminé couldn't contain her smile as she looked down at her son. Hope – at age four – was a bundle of pure energy. "Hey sweetie. Did you have fun with Auntie Aerith?"

Hope nodded enthusiastically, but then pouted. "I wish you could play with us too, mommy."

Naminé bent down she she was her son's height. "I wish I could too sweetie, but mommy's very busy."

Hope frowned. "Auntie Aerith says that too sometimes," he said.

"Well, most grown-ups don't have time to play," Aerith said gently.

Hope gasped, his blue eyes widening in horror. "Then I don't want to be a grown-up!" he said.

Aerith giggled at Hope's expression. "Alright Hope, you don't have to be a grown-up. What do you want to be instead?"

Hope's eyes lit up. "A superhero!" he said.

"Wow," Aerith said, making her eyes go wide. "I bet you'll be the best hero ever."

Naminé was always astonished with her friend's ability with children. She was a natural mother – stern but fun too. Naminé always wondered why Aerith didn't have children. When she first asked about it, Aerith's eyes got sad and she simply said that she was waiting for someone.

Naminé never asked again.

"Thanks for watching him," Naminé said, taking Hope's smaller hand in her own, "but we'd better get going now. Say bye, Hope."

"Bye Auntie Aerith!" Hope said, waving with his free hand.

Aerith giggled again and waved as well. "Bye bye, Hope!"

The bell dinged again as Naminé and Hope left, leaving behind the scent of flowers. Hope wrinkled his nose as soon as the door closed.

"I don't like how it smells in Auntie's shop," he said, pointing behind him.

Naminé smiled. "Why not?" she asked.

"Because it smells girly," Hope said, as if that cleared everything up.

Naminé shook her head, but smiled. She knew it was just a phase Hope was going through. Soon, he would be chasing down a bunch of girls. Naminé was pulled out of her thoughts when Hope let go of her hand and ran forward, splashing in the puddles from the rain last night.

"Careful!" Naminé warned, running to catch up to Hope.

She was just about to reach him when Hope jumped into a particularly big puddle, splashing water all over himself and another person.

"I'm so sorry," Naminé cried when she reached them. She quickly grabbed Hope's hand and pulled him to her. "Apologize, young man."

Hope turned to the man and looked up with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry," he said.

The man chuckled, making Naminé look at him. She quickly had to sniffle a gasp at how hot he was with his natural blond hair and bright blue eyes. "It's okay," he said, smiling at Hope, who looked like he expected to be hit. "You didn't mean it."

Hope's eyes brightened. He nodded so hard, it looked like his head would fall off.

"Then it's fine," the man said.

"But that coat looked expensive." Naminé frowned. "I could buy you another one..."

Naminé trailed off, knowing she could never afford a coat like the one the man was wearing. She had the best luck ever. (Sarcasm intended.)

"It's fine," the man said, shaking his head. "Besides, I have more."

"Alright..." Naminé replied.

"By the way, you have a cute little brother." The man smiled down at Hope, who beamed back.

"Oh, he's not my brother, he's my son," Naminé said.

"Really?" The man blinked, surprised. "Well you look very young for your age, then."

Naminé blinked, wondering if that was a compliment. But before she could reply, the man sent her one more smile and entered the building they were standing in front of.

Naminé watched him go before looking up at the sign. It read _The World that Never Was_ in white, somewhat creepy lettering. Another sign in the corner of her eye caught her attention, however.

The sign read: _NOW HIRING_.

* * *

_My Kingdom Hearts debut... Hm... debut. That's a funny word. :D Debutdebutdebutdeb- ahem... Anyway, I hope I didn't kill their characters. :) I think they're somewhat in character, but feel free to tell me otherwise. I enjoy constructive criticism. I think it helps writers become better writers. :D_

_Now... review! If you review, you get my eternal gratitude. You know you wanted eternal gratitude. *nods wisely*_

_- Misora-chan_

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER : **The World that Never Was


	2. The World that Never Was

**Disclaimer: Yes, I own Kingdom Hearts. Or at least, I will... *laughs evilly***

* * *

_TWO :_ The World that Never Was

* * *

Naminé stood outside The World that Never Was, extremely nervous. The glass doors seemed so intimidating, like they would swallow her up at any moment. People walked by her on either sides, some pausing to shoot her a nasty glare for being in their way. Some people sitting out on the terrence stared at her in confusion.

Finally, Naminé managed to shakily walk into the restaurant, just a minute before her interview time.

"Ah! Naminé!" a redhead by the counter shouted.

Naminé almost cried in relief. Axel was a friendly employee of The World that Never Was that sometimes paid visits to Castle Oblivion. He and Naminé had become good friends, despite their opposite personalities.

"Hi, Axel," Naminé replied shyly. "I'm here for my job interview."

The minute Naminé had seen that sign in the window, she had given The World that Never Was a call from Aerith's place right away. They told her to come in for an interview so they could meet her and decide if she was fit to work there. Now, she was here and Naminé was so nervous, she felt like throwing up.

But she needed this job. Many people often said that the pay at The World that Never Was was a lot better than other places, because the boss was so rich. Naminé knew that if she got this job, she could probably afford more things for Hope.

"Are you cold? You're shaking like a leaf." Naminé squeaked and jumped back. In what seemed like a split second, Axel was in front of her with a half-concerned, half-amused face. He reached out and poked Naminé's arm, making her jump again. "Someone's jumpy~!"

"_Axel_!" The door leading to the kitchen was promptly kicked open, revealing a pretty but disheveled blond. "You left something in the oven again! It's on fire now, by the way."

"Shit!" Axel shouted, making several mothers glare at him. "I'll be right back."

Axel brushed past Naminé and ran into the kitchen, cussing all the way. The blond slammed the door shut, but since it was one of those doors that could be opened on either side, it shot back again, hitting a blond guy who was on his way in.

Naminé winced when he and the tray he was carrying went crashing to the floor. She quickly ran over to help him up. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," the blond said, accepting her hand. His eyes widened when he saw the broken plates. "Dammit... Larxene's gonna kill me..."

"Here, let me help you." Naminé picked up some of the pieces, wincing when one cut her delicate skin.

"No, you're a customer," the blond protested, grabbing the pieces from her. His bottom lip stuck out in a pout, with was surprisingly cute. "I'll be fine."

Naminé shook her head and grabbed the pieces back. "I'm not a customer, I'll applying to work here. This is good practice."

For a second, Naminé stopped to marvel at how much she changed. A few years ago, Naminé would have backed off if someone said no to her, respecting their wishes even if they really did need help. She had been so meek and sky. Now, after having a very fussy son whose favourite word was no, she learned how to fight back.

The blond sighed. "I'm not going to get rid of you, am I?" he asked, smiling a bit.

Naminé grinned, feeling more at ease. "Nope," she said cheerfully, picking up the last of the broken pieces.

"Thanks. I'm Demyx, by the way."

"Naminé. Nice to meet you," she said, lacing her fingers behind her back.

"Well Naminé, I hope you get the job. Hey, if you need an employee recommendation, just ask me!"

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

Demyx grinned at her before inspecting the pieces he held in his hand. "Damn..."

"Demyx!" The door was kicked open again, but didn't hit anyone this time. "I need you to – who are you?"

Naminé gulped at the sight of the blond from before. She was much more intimidating than Demyx was. "I-I'm Naminé..."

The blond looked to be in thought for a moment, which Demyx tried to use as his escape. But the blond grabbed his ear before he could, making Demyx cry out. "If you're Naminé, then come with me. And Demyx, go help Axel."

As if on cue, Axel shouted, "LARXENE! The fire's getting bigger!"

Larxene cussed and pushed Demyx into the kitchen, not even bothering to ask about the broken plates. She then turned to Naminé, who was frozen under her stare.

"Come with me. I'll take you to our boss."

* * *

Naminé had heard rumors of the mysterious Xemnas. Some of her co-workers claimed he was a beast. Others said he was extremely eccentric. Of course, the only things they knew about him were rumors as well. The only people who had actually met him were the workers of The World that Never Was.

Larxene led Naminé up to the third floor, where all the offices were apparently located. The strange thing was, most of the doors didn't look like offices. The elevator ride was short and silent, making Naminé even more uncomfortable.

"You're the only one he wanted to see personally," Larxene suddenly said.

Naminé nearly screamed. She was so lost in thought, she had completely forgotten that she wasn't alone. "W-What?"

Larxene shot her an irritated glare, making Naminé sweat. "The only one Xenmas wanted to meet with in person."

"R-Really?" Naminé asked, amazed. The elusive boss of The World that Never Was wanted to see _her_?

"Yes. And get rid of that stutter, will you?"

"S-Sorry."

"Ugh!"

* * *

Finally, after what seemed like several hours, Naminé and Larxene arrived at Xenmas's office. Larxene looked completely passive, but Naminé was ready to faint. She stared at the white, double doors in horror, thousands of thoughts doing marathons in her head.

_What if he doesn't like me? What if I faint? What if I throw up? Oh, this is going to be horrible!_

"Are you ready?" Larxene asked, looking over her shoulder. When she saw how nervous Naminé was, she sighed. "Look. I was as scared as you are when I first met him. But it's going to be fine. Xenmas is... fair..."

Naminé stared up at the older woman. It was clear from Larxene's tone that she wasn't used to giving out compliments, even it was towards her boss. She looked so uncomfortable, Naminé imagined that she wasn't used to comforting people either.

But she did appreciate the effort. And she was less scared.

"Thank you," she practically whispered.

Larxene ignored her and pushed opened the doors, revealing a comfortably furnished office with couches and bookshelves overflowing with books. Large picture windows across the room provided plenty of light.

A tanned man radiating confidence sat at the large mahogany desk across the room. Naminé immediately felt nervous again when she laid eyes on the intimidating boss of The World that Never Was.

"Welcome, Naminé," Xenmas said, making Naminé jump. "Please, sit."

Xenmas gestured towards one of the two armchairs in front of his desk. Naminé quickly sat down, but she was still shaking. Larxene had already left, most likely to help Axel with the fire. She could still hear the panicked shouts, so she could only assume that the fire wasn't put out yet.

"H-Hello..." Naminé stuttered, quickly adding a "sir" at the end.

Xenmas smirked. "No need to be nervous, Naminé. Just answer every question honestly."

Naminé nodded, and the interview began. She was surprised that she felt more at ease, and that Xenmas wasn't really as scary as she thought he was. Finally, the questions were done, but Xenmas seemed unsatisfied.

Naminé watched nervously as Xenmas read over her application. After a few minutes, Xenmas sighed and shook his head, making Naminé's heart plummet.

She wasn't going to get the job.

"Well Naminé..." Xenmas began.

"Before you say no," Naminé interrupted, "how much is the pay here?" Naminé needed to know what she was giving up.

Xenmas frowned. "Are you applying just for the money?"

Naminé paused, wondering what she should say. She could just lie and say no, but Xenmas did tell her to answer honestly. "Well... to be honest... yes."

Xenmas stared at her, but Naminé couldn't tell what he was thinking. "I mean, I have a son and I wasn't able to complete high school. I can't seem to get a good job..." Naminé trailed off, wondering what she was saying. But for some reason, she just couldn't stop talking. "My ex-fiancé left me a while ago, and I really want to make my son's life as easy as possible. I need this job!"

Xenmas seemed surprised at her outburst, and if Naminé was being honest, she was too. But she was more surprised that she didn't regret it.

Finally, after what seemed like a million years, Xenmas smirked. "Welcome to The World that Never Was, Naminé."

Naminé stared at him in shock. She was sure that she heard wrong. "What?"

"I was once an orphan too. I know what it's like – only having money to put food on the table. And sometimes, not even enough for that. That's why I promised myself that I would only give jobs to people who need them, whether they're qualified or not. Everyone who works here has no where else to go. Larxene was an orphan too, and Axel ran away from home," Xenmas explained. "It seems like you need a place to go too."

Naminé was still in shock when Xenmas finished his explanation. Finally, she managed to say, "Thank you... thank you so much!"

* * *

"No, Sora, I will not help you."

"_But Roxas! Kairi's really mad at me! I need your help! Besides, I'm your twin, your brother, your other half!"_

Roxas sighed and rubbed his head, wondering when his twin became so annoying. He was currently looking through the fridge, since his chef was out sick and couldn't make him dinner. Sora had called a few minutes ago, claiming that when he got home, his wife was ready to kill him using a broom and a dustpan. Now, he was begging Roxas for his help.

"First, if you can't figure it out, I don't know what she sees in you. Or _saw_, if you can't figure it out by tomorrow. And second, that last one made it sound like we were together."

"_EW!"_

"Thanks Sora, thanks."

"_Your welcome, brother dear! And speaking of getting together... have you gotten a girlfriend yet?"_

"No," Roxas deadpanned, pulling something out of the fridge. _Oh, this looks good._

"_Dude, it's been... How many years?"_

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Almost four years now."

"_Oh yeah! Damn, it's been _that_ long?"_

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"_Nothing~! Now are you going to help me or what?"_

"Fine," Roxas grudgingly agreed. "Here's a hint: what's today?"

"_... Friday?"_

"... You are so hopeless, it's not even funny. How are you related to me?"

"_Hey! You're the one who can't even get a girlfriend! And I'm the one that's married, remember?"_

"... I'm hanging up now, Sora."

"_No! Wait! What am I supposed to do?"_

"Buy a calender. Now, bye!"

"_No! Roxas – " Click._

Roxas sighed when the house was once again plunged into silence. While his twin was annoying, he did make things interesting. There never was a dull moment when Sora was around. Especially when they were teenagers.

Roxas smiled a rueful smile and looked down at his dinner, wondering how he was going to cook it. With his cooking skills, he'd probably make it explode, even without heating it. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to cook anything else, so Roxas figured he might as well try it.

"Hmm... Let's see..." Roxas turned the box over to read the directions on the bottom. "_Let it sit for twenty minutes on medium high_ – hey... I bet it would cook faster on high for ten minutes. And I should probably add more oil..."

Ten minutes later, Roxas was desperately trying to put out the fire raging on his stove.

* * *

"Still can't cook?"

"Shut up, Axel."

After Roxas's cooking disaster, he decided to just go to The World that Never Was to eat, since he probably wouldn't have any luck with cooking his own dinner. Unfortunately, most of the workers knew him, since he had been going there since he was in high school.

So many of them knew that he couldn't cook to save his life.

Maybe that was why he wasn't allowed to help in the kitchen...

Axel _tsk_-ed and shook his head, pretending to actually be more mature than Roxas. "Roxas, you know how much you epically fail at cooking. Now, celebrate your epic fail with a sandwich!"

Roxas had to crack a smile at that. Axel always managed to cheer him up. "Alright, I'll have – "

"Axel! Your food is on fire again!" Larxene screamed from the kitchen.

"Why do we let Axel cook anyway?" Roxas heard Zexion ask.

"Shit! I'll be right back, Roxas! Hey, Naminé! Come take Roxas's order!" Axel waved a girl that couldn't be any older than he was – and was strangely familiar too – over before running into the kitchen to help Larxene.

"Welcome to The World that Never Was! Can I take your order?" the girl asked, tilting her head cutely.

Suddenly, Roxas realized where he had seen the girl before. "Hey... aren't you that mother from yesterday? The one with the hyperactive son who likes to splash in puddles?"

The girl blinked at him before realization dawned on her face. Almost immediately after, colour flooded her cheeks. "I-I think s-so. I'm sorry, again, by the way... I hope my son didn't cause too much damage to your coat."

Roxas shrugged. A coat was a coat. "It's fine. Anyway, my name is Roxas. I figured that since you owe me for yesterday, you need to know my name," he joked.

Her face instantly paled, and her blue eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

Roxas laughed. "No! I already said it was fine."

The girl's face coloured again, and Roxas couldn't help but smirk in amusement. Her reactions were very entertaining. "B-By the way... m-my name is Naminé."

"Naminé, huh? That's a nice name," Roxas said, smiling.

Naminé smiled back. "Thank you."

* * *

_So... I changed The World that Never Was into a restaurant, since it seemed to fit better. As for the explanation thingy - I have no idea. But to me, it just seems like the Organization XIII are all outcasts. Or would be outcasts if they had hearts. And yes, Xenmas is severely out of character. I murdered him in cold blood, didn't I? xD_

_Either way, if you don't like it, it probably won't come up again. Probably._

_I have to study for my math test soon, but here's a pretty simple problem:  
_

_READ + REVIEW = LOVE :D_

_- Misora-chan_

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER : **Under One Sky


	3. Under One Sky

**Disclaimer: ...**

* * *

_THREE :_ Under One Sky

* * *

"And I think I'll have some cake for dessert."

"Alright, I'll be right back with your order," Naminé said as she scribbled the order down onto her notepad. She smiled at the customers and grabbed their menus before walking away.

After a few weeks, Naminé found that she liked working at The World that Never Was. The other workers were nice, the customers were nice (most of the time), and it kept her busy. She also became good friends with most of the regular customers.

Like Roxas, who came almost everyday. According to Axel, Roxas could cook as well as a blind monkey on drugs, so most days, he just came to The World that Never Was.

Naminé gathered the plates left behind by some customer, and carried them into the kitchen, mindful of the swinging door. She didn't want to end up like Demyx, who slammed into the door at least once a day. The kitchen was full of life, like usual. Larxene was screaming at everyone (also usual), but for once, nothing was on fire.

Naminé supposed it was because Axel had been forbidden to even _look_ in the kitchen after he nearly burned down the building. For the tenth time in three days. Naminé remembered Larxene's face that day and giggled to herself. The blond's face had turned at least ten shades of red from anger.

"Naminé, here's your order," said one of the cooks, handing her a few plates. He was a very tall and muscular man named Lexaeus. Contrary to his appearance, Lexaeus was very nice and quiet, as well as an amazing cook. Naminé had tasted one of his dishes once, and she could swear she died and went to Heaven.

"Thanks." Naminé took the food from Lexaeus and placed it on her tray, careful to make sure the plates wouldn't fall. Demyx broke enough plates for all of them. Sometimes she wondered why Demyx was even allowed to handle delicate things if he was so clumsy.

Naminé hummed to herself as she pushed open the door leading to the dining area with her back. She saw Axel arguing with a customer, and after she delivered the food, Naminé quickly ran over to try to defuse the situation.

"Axel, is everything alright?"

The redhead spun around to face her, pouting like a kid. He sighed dramatically, placing a hand on his chest. "No, little Naminé, everything is not alright! Please tell the blond idiot here that I can cook better than him!"

"Naminé, you don't need to lie." Naminé peered around Axel to see who the customer was, and smiled when she saw it was Roxas, who looked slightly irritated, but amused. "I'm obviously a better cook than someone who sets everything he touches on fire."

"Says the guy who – "

"The usual, Roxas?" Naminé asked, blatantly ignoring Axel, who pouted and muttered angrily under his breath.

"Yeah, but you'll probably have to come back to take my brother's order. He's running late... again." Roxas turned on his cell phone and checked the time before looking at the door again.

"Okay, I'll come back, but I never knew you had a brother," Naminé replied.

"I have three brothers, and a sister. I might even have some half-siblings I never met," Roxas told her.

Naminé's eyes widened and her jaw hit the ground. She had been an only child, so the fact that Roxas had four siblings shocked her and made her feel a little jealous. She had always wanted a sister.

"Why do you have so many? I mean, wouldn't your parents – "

"Don't say anything, Naminé," Axel interrupted. Axel's face was emotionless, shocking Naminé again since the older man was everything but serious.

"It's okay, Axel. She didn't know," Roxas said. "And Naminé, the reason I have so many siblings is because my dad remarried four times after his first wife died, and also tends to have a lot of affairs. My only actual sibling is my twin."

Naminé frowned, feeling slightly mad at Roxas's father for sleeping around so much. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Roxas said. But Naminé saw the flash of anger in his eyes. Clearly his relationship with his dad was strained at best. A part of her pitied him. She had always been close with her father, until he died. "He's never around, anyway. The last time I saw him was a year ago."

"That's horri – "

"I'm here!"

Naminé blinked in surprise as a brunet practically fell in the seat, panting. Judging from what she had heard, the brunet was probably one of Roxas's brothers.

"Late again, Sora." Roxas _tsk_-ed and shook his head, but there was an amused glint in his eyes. "No wonder Kairi's always complaining."

"S-Shut... up... Roxas..." Sora managed to say, looking pale and ready to collaspe. "Can I get some water?"

"I'll get you a glass," Axel said, walking away. Naminé ran after him, intent on questioning him.

Axel didn't even bother to stop and take the orders of a customer that was waving and obviously in a hurry. Naminé hesitated before deciding to run after him, seeing as Zexion was already making his way over. The introvert raised his one visible eyebrow at Naminé, but didn't question it.

"Axel, did you know about Roxas's father?" Naminé snapped as she slipped into the kitchen. She let out a little huff when her co-worker kept walking. "Axel!"

"Hm?" Axel turned around to face her. "Oh, Naminé! I didn't see you! What do you want?"

"You knew about Roxas's father?" Once again, another change. A few years ago, Naminé would never say something that blunt. But since bluntness was the only way to get through to Hope, she learned.

Axel frowned and turned away for a second to talk to Demyx. The blond groaned and ran off and Axel turned back to Naminé. "Of course I knew about his dad. His affairs were a big scandal last year. Company was almost ruin – hey, thanks Dem."

"Company? What company?" Now that Naminé thought about it, she had never once asked Roxas what he did for a living. She supposed it just never came up in conversation.

"Hikari Crops., of course. Didn't you know? Roxas is a Hikari. Hey, give this to Sora, will you?" Axel handed Naminé the glass of water Sora requested, and Naminé immediately put it down so she wouldn't be tempted to throw it at someone.

"_Roxas is a _Hikari?"

* * *

"Sora, you look exhausted. Did you run all the way here?"

Sora lifted his brown, spiky head from the table and nodded. "All the way from work."

Roxas's jaw dropped. "But that's an hour long walk!"

"Thirty-five minutes if you sprint." Sora's response was slightly muffled by the tabletop. "Sorry, I'm late. I got held up by work."

"It's no problem. I didn't expect you to be on time anyway," Roxas replied, smirking.

Sora rested his chin on the table and pouted, looking like a kicked puppy. But there was a mischievous glint in his blue eyes. "That's mean, _Roxie_."

Roxas winced at the old nickname. It had haunted him all through high school after Sora (he was starting to realize that his twin was often the cause of his misfortune) shouted it out for the entire campus to hear. His friends had only stopped calling him that recently, but his siblings still teased him about it mercilessly.

"And where's Axel with my water?"

"Axel's busy," a voice behind them said. Sora yelped and jumped up, causing him to fall out of his seat. Roxas burst out laughing, not even bothering to help his twin up.

Naminé glared at the blond and extended a hand to help Sora up. "Quiet you! Are you alright? Sorry for that, by the way."

"I've been through worse," Sora said cheerfully, accepting Naminé's hand. "Truthfully, my wife has hurt me more."

"Um... okay? Here's your water." The minute Naminé set the glass on the table, Sora lunged for it and gulped it down like the fate of the world depended on it.

"Ah~! I feel revived!" Sora said, slamming the glass onto the table. The water sloshed and threatened to spill over the edge, but Sora didn't notice. He turned to Naminé with his cheerful, uncaring smile still in place. "Thank you... um..."

"Naminé," Naminé supplied. "I just started working here."

"You have a pretty name, Naminé!" Sora's smile widened, and Naminé briefly wondered if his cheeks hurt from his constant smiling.

Naminé felt all the blood rushing to her face and internally cursed. Whenever she blushed, people noticed, since her entire face would turn a violent shade of red. And even when she wasn't blushing, there was always a light pink tint to her cheeks, so people always thought she was blushing.

"Okay, Sora. Don't scare her," Roxas cut in, smirking.

"You're mean, _Roxie_." Sora pouted and stuck out his tongue at his brother.

"Roxie?" Naminé asked, disbelief and amusement clear in her tone. "Is there something I should know?"

"Great." Roxas groaned and let his head fall onto his hands, elbows on the table. "Now she's going to start calling me that!"

"I would never do that... _Roxie _(that caused Sora's smile to widen)." Naminé grinned and grabbed her notepad, flipping it open with practiced ease. "Now, can I take your order?"

"Hmm..." Sora studied the menu, his brow furrowing. "I think I'll have the... no wait that looks good.. maybe I should get that... er... You know what? I'll just have what Roxas is having."

Naminé nodded and smiled one last time before walking away.

Sora took another sip of his water. He looked a lot less pale and was no longer panting like a dying man in the desert. "So..." he began, setting the nearly empty cup down. "I like Naminé."

"Don't you have a wife?" Roxas asked, smirking.

"Not in that way!" Sora shouted, making many customers stare at them. But that was a usual occurrence. Sora tended to attract attention wherever he went, what with his loud personality. Though his hair was enough to draw a crowd all on its own. "I meant that she's cool. Well... she is pretty."

"I guess," Roxas said lazily, leaning back. Truthfully, he had never thought of Naminé's looks. She was someone to talk to, a friend. Naminé had always been a great listener, and never treated him like he was practically loyalty because he was a Hikari. "I never thought of her in that way."

Sora raised his eyebrow, disbelief clear on his face. Seeing this, Roxas quickly said, "Don't give me that look, Sora."

Sora relaxed and grinned. "Alright, alright. I'm just doubtful. I mean, come on, Roxas. You've met Naminé before, right? How can you not think she's pretty? Oh wait... Is there something you want to tell me, Roxas?"

Roxas stared at his twin, confused. "Huh?"

"It's fine if you are. Everyone has different tastes, right? I just never thought you swung _that way_."

Roxas, upon figuring out what his brother was implying, turned bright red. "_Sora,_" he hissed, mortified. "I'm not gay."

Sora tipped his chair back so it was on two legs instead of four, his grin still on his face despite the clear threat in Roxas's words. "Tsk, tsk, Roxas. "Denial" is not just a river in Egypt, after all. Like I said, it's fine if you are. There's no need to hide it anymore. Besides, I'm sure I caught you staring at Axel once or twice. Too bad he's with Larxene, right?"

Roxas said nothing. Instead, he stuck out his leg and promptly kicked Sora's chair, sending him crashing to the ground. Again.

"Ow..." Sora groaned, not bothering to get up.

"By the way genius; the Nile really isn't just a river in Egypt. It's also in Sudan, Kenya and seven other countries."

And because of her impeccable timing, Naminé chose that moment to arrive with the food. "Order – Sora, what are you doing on the floor?"

"I don't think Sora will need to eat, Naminé," Roxas said, smirking. "He already has his foot in his mouth."

"_Roxie_!"

* * *

_Hmm... I think I epically failed at Sora and Roxas's playful sibling banter. Yep. I probably shouldn't try and write humour. Oh, and I have nothing against gay people. Neither does Roxas. :)_

_Anyway, so sorry for the delay! I went on a leadership trip with my school for three days two weekends ago, and this chapter refused to cooperate with me. I rewrote it a few times, and this was the final product. I'm still not happy about it, so this might be rewritten in the future._

_On another note, only a few more days until summer vacation! :D I'll try to update weekly during the summer, since I'm not going anywhere._

_Oh, and I have a little contest for you guys. First three people to guess the rest of Roxas and Sora's siblings (two brothers and a sister) gets a special sneak peek at the next chapter~! :D Where another new character will be introduced... I won't announce the winners until I post the next chapter (hopefully by next week), but I think it's pretty obvious who I chose to be their siblings. :)_

_- Misora-chan_

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER : **Life's Little Surprises


	4. Life's Little Surprises

**Disclaimer: All I own is a necklace that resembles Roxas's zipper from Kingdom Hearts II. That's right. Be jealous.**

* * *

**EDIT ON JULY 26/12: **I changed Kairi and Naminé's conversation a little bit. Now, she doesn't tell Kairi about Hope right off the bat. Feel free to reread it. It does sort of come into play in the later chapters.

* * *

_FOUR : _Life's Little Surprises

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" Sora called as he walked through the front doors.

Unlike Roxas's big empty mansion, Sora's beach house was filled with sunshine and life. Sora could hear the TV in the background and sunlight shone through the big, open windows (Kairi was convinced they were going to get robbed with those windows) that had a great view of Radiant Garden.

"Welcome home!" a voice called from the kitchen, where Sora could smell something cooking.

The brunet kicked off his shoes, threw his keys somewhere (he wasn't sure where; Sora knew he would probably regret that in the morning) and practically floated to the kitchen, intoxicated by the smell, and also excited to see his wife after a full day apart.

"What's for dinner?" Sora asked, poking his head in the door. He made sure to make his presence known, since the last time he had snuck up on Kairi while she was cooking, he had been hit over the head with a spatula.

The redhead turned around, facing her husband. Her blue eyes were filled with happiness, and there was an amused smirk on her face. "Is food all you can think about?"

Sora grinned. "I'm a man, Kairi. And we are weak in the presence of beautiful women and food."

"True," Kairi mused, turning back to the stove. "Now set the table."

"Yes ma'am," Sora said, mockingly saluting. He hummed as he got out the plates and forks and knives, placing them sloppily on the table.

Kairi turned off the stove and served the food. Moments later, it was nearly all gone, thanks to a certain Sora. Kairi shook her head and smirked in amusement. She was more than used to Sora's antics, having been his friend since they were in diapers.

"You're going to get fat if you keep eating like that," she teased, poking Sora in the ribs.

"I have a very high metabolism, and I work out," Sora countered, slapping his wife's hand away.

"Hmm..." Kairi hummed, poking at her food. "Well, it certainly doesn't show."

Sora pouted. "You wound me, woman."

Kairi burst out laughing at his comment, and Sora glowed. He loved it when his wife laughed. It always made him feel happy as well. But Sora's good mood fell a little bit when he thought of his twin brother.

_If only Roxas would open up..._ he thought.

"Thinking about Roxas?" Kairi suddenly said, startling Sora.

"Huh? How did you know?" Sora asked.

Kairi rested her elbow on the table, and rested her chin on her hand. There was a small smile on her face. "You have that look in your eyes. But why are you worried so much? Roxas will find love when he finds love."

Sora stared at her. "Who are you and what have you done with Kairi?"

"Oh, shut up," Kairi said, slapping his arm.

"Okay, okay," Sora said, chuckling. His thoughts drifted again to Naminé, and he grinned. "Well I think Roxas might find it sooner than we think."

"Oh?" Kairi looked interested.

"Well... there's a new employee at The World that Never Was..."

* * *

Naminé hummed to herself as she cleaned one of the tables. It was a slow day at The World that Never Was; a rarity, especially since it was summer. The other employees were lounging around, not even bothering to pretend they were working. Axel had even called her over a few minutes ago to order a smoothie. She responded by whacking him on the head with her notepad and telling him to make it himself.

Needless to say, the few customers in the restaurant had enjoyed their little show.

Suddenly, the door was thrown open, slamming against the wall with a loud _bang!_ that made everyone jump. A girl stood in the doorway, framed by the sunlight. She had bright red hair and wore dark sunglasses. Her clothes were clearly designer, and her arms were lined with more bags from various stores.

"Kairi?" Axel questioned, surprised.

"No, it's Oprah," Kairi said, sarcasm dripping from her every word. The redhead took off her sunglasses, revealing violet-blue eyes. "Or course it's Kairi, you idiot!"

Naminé chucked at Axel's expression, making Kairi turn to her, noticing her for the first time since she stepped foot in the restaurant. Her eyes widened and she let out a small squeal, grabbing Naminé's hands. "You're Naminé, right? Roxas's future wife?"

"F-Future – " Naminé sputtered, at a loss for words.

"Whoa, calm down, Kai." Axel smirked. "It's a little too early for marriage. By the way, are you joining the betting pool?"

"_Betting pool_?"

"There's a betting pool?"

"_Axel_!"

"You bet!"

"That was a horrible pun."

"Now wait just a minute!" Naminé cried, wrenching her hands from Kairi's. "Me and Roxas are not together, and we won't be together! We've only known each other for a month! And how do you know Roxas anyway?"

"He's my brother-in-law," Kairi said, sounding distracted. "Sora's my husband. And I've known the Hikaris since I was born."

"Wait... You're Sora's abusive wife?" Naminé asked.

"Uh oh..." Axel muttered under his breath, slowly inching away from Kairi, whose face was turning as red as her hair. Steam was practically shooting out of her ears.

"_Abusive_?" Kairi screamed, looking murderous, and Naminé wished she could take it back. "Is _that_ what Sora calls me? I'm not _abusive_! _He's just whipped_!"

"Sorry!" Naminé squeaked, but Kairi was too busy ranting and raging to listen.

"Spreading lies about me - !"

Naminé sent a pleading glance to her coworkers, but Zexion was buried in his book (and Naminé doubted he would have helped her anyway), Axel was too busy cracking up, Larxene didn't seem to care, and Demyx looked scared (of what, Naminé had no idea). He held his tray in front of his face, desperately trying to disappear.

"Anyway... Back to the more important things! Your love life!" Naminé found herself being turned around. Kairi's face was back to its original colour, and she didn't seem mad anymore. Naminé was surprised at how fast Kairi's mood changed.

"Oh, you and Roxas will be perfect for each other!" Kairi squealed, blue eyes sparkling. If this was an anime, Kairi's eyes would totally be in the shape of sparkles and she would have a bright yellow, sparkly background.

Naminé felt her cheeks heat up as Kairi grabbed her hands, eyes still sparkling. "H-Huh?" she stammered. "M-Me a-and Roxas?"

"Oh, you're so cute, Nami~!" Kairi squealed, attracting the attention of everyone in the restaurant.

_Yep, they're perfect for each other,_ Naminé thought. Both Kairi and Sora were loud and attention grabbing. They were so energetic and complimented each other perfectly. She knew they would stay together for a long time, and would probably end up as one of those old loving couples in the same retirement home.

"I'm so glad that you met Roxas, Naminé!" Kairi squealed again. Her blue eyes softened a little bit, and she looked kind of sad. "He needs love in his life."

Naminé blinked at Kairi's sudden mood change. A second ago, she was practically bouncing off the walls like Sora hyped up on too much coffee (which was usually just two cups). Now she was much more subdued, and seemed slightly nostalgic.

"Roxas hasn't always had the best luck with love," Kairi muttered, thoughtful. "Which is why I always have to butt in and help. I remember this one girl who made off with a bunch of his money... and there was this other girl who cheated on him... and there was this girl who only used Roxas to get this part in a movie or something..."

Naminé winced at Roxas's unfortunate love life. _He has worst luck than I do_, she thought as Kairi continued talking in the background.

"... and I just know we're going to be best friends, Naminé!" The blonde smiled at little at Kairi's enthusiasm. She seemed really sweet, even if she was a little hyper. "I have so many - "

"Kairi," Larxene interrupted, looking amused. "Order something or get out."

Namine was shocked at Larxene's bluntness, but Kairi didn't seem surprised. The redhead just laughed and found a vacant table to sit down at.

"She's a handful, isn't she?" Axel asked, clearly amused.

Naminé nodded before spinning around to face Axel, hands on her hips. "Now about that betting pool..."

* * *

"And then Auntie Aerith took me shopping! It was fun, but she was mostly looking at flowers and seeds and stuff."

Hope was sitting at the old kitchen table, chattering mindlessly as his mother cooked dinner. He was playing with a toy that Aerith bought for him, and was already dressed in his pajamas.

Naminé smiled at her son and placed some food on his plate. "Oh really?"

"Yep!" Hope said cheerfully. "And then she bought me ice cream! Can I get ice cream again tomorrow?"

Naminé's smile became tight. "We'll see, sweetie."

Hope didn't seem disappointed by his mom's answer, and instead started eating. The atmosphere in the small apartment was a peaceful one. The only sound was the TV playing in the background and the quiet sound of rain hitting the windows.

_Knock, knock._ Naminé frowned and looked up, wondering who was at the door. She knew none of her new friends knew her address, and neither did any of her relatives, who wanted nothing to do with her after Hope's birth.

For a second, Naminé wondered if he was back. She sent him emails sometimes, telling him all about Hope and how her life was, but he never replied to any of them.

But Naminé knew that was a vain hope.

While his mother was thinking, Hope jumped off his chair and ran to the door. He was just tall enough to reach and turn the doorknob, but before he could, Naminé stopped him.

"Let me, sweetie," she said, trying to open the sticky door. It took a few tries, but Naminé eventually managed to open it.

Two men stood on the other side. One was considerably taller than the other, and held a clipboard in his hands. Naminé's stomach dropped. Whenever they showed up, there was never any good news.

"Mr. West. Mr. Daniels. What a pleasant surprise," she said to the landlords.

The taller one – Mr. West – said nothing. Instead, he shoved a piece of paper into Naminé's hands. "Ms. Sakka, you're being evicted."

Naminé's throat suddenly felt very dry. "What?" she whispered, looking down at the paper.

Sure enough, _EVICTED_ was written diagonally across the page in large red lettering.

* * *

_Hehe... It's been a while, hasn't it?_

_I'M SORRY! D: I've just been caught up with my exams and my parents have been on me about volunteering. The middle parts also refused to cooperate with me. I changed the ending of the little preview a bit too, but it wasn't a big change. I knew exactly how to end and start this chapter, but I couldn't figure out the middle. Ironic, since I usually know what happens in the middle, but not the beginning or end. :p  
_

_But anyway... Kairi has entered the story! I feel like she's slightly out of character, but I always imagined her to be the perky cheerleader type with major spunk and a down-to-Earth attitude and is a major airhead sometimes. But she has a good heart._

_And the people who successfully guessed who Roxas and Sora's siblings are (well... the first three who had accounts, because there were others who guessed right too): **CalmAsWater**, **kinmoku2**, and **TaiyouKing**. Their siblings are - from eldest to youngest - Vanitas, Ventus and Xion. They'll be introduced in the story, of course, but only Xion will play a prominent role. And so many people guessed Cloud. xD To be honest, I considered making him a Hikari, but decided against it. This story won't have many Final Fantasy characters._

_And yes, Axel was just kidding about the betting pool. :)_

_Hopefully, the next update will come faster, especially since it's summer._

_- Misora_

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER : **New Beginnings


	5. New Beginnings

**Disclaimer: Well... I tried to get the rights to _Kingdom Hearts_. *hides weapons***

* * *

_FIVE :_ New Beginnings

* * *

Naminé could have cried.

The landlords looked emotionless as they explained. They told her that the apartment building was being destroyed, and that everyone living in it needed to find new homes. They kept apologizing and saying how they were so sorry and more bullshit like that.

"If there was any other way..."

Naminé trembled with anger and sadness. Hope looked at his mother and the two men in the door. He didn't understand what was happening, but he knew his mom was upset.

"You can stay until 6 PM tomorrow," Mr. Daniels was saying. "By then, you need to find another place to stay."

"Once again, we are very sorry – "

"Shut up."

Mr. West stopped mid-sentence, looking affronted. "Excuse me?"

"I said shut up!" Naminé slammed the door closed, not even caring that it probably didn't help her being evicted. There was nothing she could do anyway.

But where would this leave her and Hope? She had to work all day tomorrow, so there was no time to find another apartment by six. Did that mean that they would have to live on the streets? No, she could never expose Hope to that kind of life. He should grow up in a comfortable environment, not one where it was hard to find food to eat.

"Mommy?" Hope whimpered slightly and tugged on Naminé's sleeve. He had never seen his normally gentle mother act this way. "What happened?"

Her son's distress snapped Naminé back to reality. She quickly gathered Hope in her arms. "Everything will be alright, Hope," Naminé whispered, hoping she didn't tell a lie.

* * *

For the first time in his life, Roxas had a day off.

It felt weird, to be able to wake up as late as he wanted in who-knows-how-long. To actually be present for breakfast (he usually skipped breakfast because he was too busy; sad but true). And for lunch. And maybe even dinner.

Roxas found it sort of sad that he hadn't had a day off for a while now. His social life was probably dead.

But there was a reason for his day off. He wasn't the type to just not go to work because he felt like it, Sora was. Roxas prided himself on being the more mature twin, despite the fact that he was younger. It had been that way since they were kids, according to the maids.

Maria was one of the few maids who worked for him that had taken care of Roxas and his siblings when they were growing up. She claimed that they were devils growing up, and enjoyed tormenting everyone except her, because they were too scared. But Maria was a teddy bear in a grizzly bear. She looked all big and scary, but was really a pushover.

Now, she was retired.

It was kind of weird to think about.

Roxas sighed and sipped the last of his coffee. Maria had already left in the morning, and Roxas had bid her goodbye. He had already called his other siblings, informing them about Maria retiring. Sora had nearly burst into tears, but it was Sora. He would be up and be all hyper again in a few minutes. His twin was probably bipolar. Or ADHD.

Either way, there was something wrong with him.

Vanitas wasn't picking up – which didn't surprise him – and Xion was probably sleeping. He didn't bother calling Ventus.

"Do you need anything, sir?"

"Huh?" Roxas turned to face the brunette maid, his posture relaxing when he saw who it was. "Olette, you know you don't need to be so formal."

His childhood friend smiled. "It's not proper," she argued back.

And that was the end of that. No one ever won an argument with Olette. It was something Hayner found out the hard way when they got into an argument and Olette single-handily destroyed his pride back in high school.

They've been best friends ever since, but Roxas could swear there was something more going on. Axel even started a betting pool.

"No, I don't need anything," Roxas said, picking up the remote and flicking through channels. There was nothing on except sitcoms and cartoons and news.

"Well, call if you need something," Olette said, walking away.

Roxas groaned and leaned back, sinking into the soft, white leather couch. _Who knew day offs could be so boring?_

Finally, after staring at the ceiling for a bit and contemplating calling Olette back so they could hang out or something (he squashed that idea; Olette was a workaholic, she could never agree to hang out), Roxas got up and grabbed his favourite leather jacket from the closet near the door.

The World that Never Was had to be more lively than this.

* * *

Naminé jumped at the sound of something glass smashing to peices. Her first thought was Demyx breaking another plate, so it surprised her when she saw the shattered remains of some plates by _her_ feet.

"Naminé!" Larxene screeched, looking confused and angry at the same time. "You never break plates. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she replied, trying to smile. Judging by the look on Larxene's face, she didn't succeed.

Larxene regarded her suspiciously, but decided to let it go. She had learned from the beginning that Naminé was pretty independent. "Alright..."

There was another crash (_that_ was probably Demyx), and Naminé breathed a sigh of relief when Larxene turned her attention to that. She carefully picked up the broken pieces (making sure to watch the edges) and placed them on her tray. Some customers were kind enough to try and help, but Naminé insisted that she was alright, even if her mind was drowning in worries.

"Did Demyx break another plate again?" a familiar voice asked.

Naminé looked over her shoulder to see Roxas – messy blond hair and all – walking towards her, looking both concerned and amused. "No... This time it was me," she admitted sheepishly, straightening up.

Roxas's amusement turned to confusion. "What happened?" he asked.

"Nothing," Naminé answered, biting her lip. She looked down at the small pieces of glass still on the ground. "I'd better get a broom..."

"Naminé." Before she could leave, Naminé felt Roxas grab her arm and pull her back, staring down at her. She could tell that he wasn't going to let her go without an explanation. "What happened?"

Naminé felt herself start shaking, and Roxas must have noticed it too. He gently pried her tray away from her and placed it on an empty table beside them. "Hey..." he hesitated, not sure what to do. "Are... are you okay?"

"F-Fine..." she managed to choke out. Roxas raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Fine. I'm not fine. Everything's not okay. In fact, it's falling apart at the seams!"

Naminé sank to the ground, not caring that she was making a scene or that glass was digging into her legs. She felt someone pull her up, and heard voices. Her vision was blurred with tears, but Naminé forced them back. She tried to take calming breaths, but with every breath it felt like the stress was just getting worse.

Finally, Naminé felt the world completely slip away.

* * *

She came too in a soft, fluffy bed and surrounded by white.

The amount of white in the room blinded her. Normally, Naminé loved the colour white, but right now, the colour was the last thing her eyes wanted to see.

Naminé blinked a few times, letting her eyes get adjusted to the brightness. She spotted some medical posters up on the walls, which meant she was probably in a doctor's office or a hospital. White curtains gently flapped in the breeze coming through the open window.

The door was suddenly opened, causing Naminé to jump. Roxas stood in the open doorway, looking worried. His concern disappeared when he saw she was awake, a smile taking its place.

"You're awake!" he said happily.

"I noticed," Naminé deadpanned, making Roxas roll his eyes.

"You're welcome, by the way," he said.

"You're the one who brought me to the hospital?" Naminé asked. When Roxas nodded, she added, "It was unnecessary, you know. I was just stressed."

"You know, the normal response is usually "Thank you," or maybe that's just me."

Naminé rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Fine. Thank you."

"You're welcome. See? Easy." Roxas pulled up a chair and sat down. His face turned serious, all signs of joking around disappearing. "Now... are you going to tell me what's wrong? And why you suddenly fainted?"

Naminé sighed and leaned back. The entire story spilled out. Everything from her fiance to her and Hope being evicted. Roxas didn't interrupt once, but she could tell he was listening. His expression changed from surprise to anger to sympathy.

At one point, the doctor came in and checked Naminé over, so the story stopped momentarily. But otherwise, Naminé just kept talking and talking.

"And that's why I was upset," she finished. Naminé couldn't help but smile. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her chest.

Roxas didn't say anything for a while, and simply stared at the sunset. "You said you needed a place to stay, right?" Roxas suddenly asked, startling Naminé.

"Yeah," she replied, picking at her jeans. Naminé noted that they hadn't bothered to change her clothes, which probably meant that she would be sent home soon. "I don't have time to find a place though..."

"Why don't you and Hope stay with me?"

Naminé's eyes widened and she furiously shook her head. "Oh no... I couldn't possibly do that! I don't want to impose!"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Naminé, you wouldn't be imposing if I invite you. Besides, I have more than enough space. One of my maids just retired."

"Still," Naminé insisted. "It wouldn't be right."

"Come on, Naminé!" Roxas said. "It's the answer to both our problems. I do get lonely... all alone in my big house... You would be doing me a favour! Besides, you'll end up on the streets if you don't."

Naminé hesitated. "Oh, I hate it when you're right! But I'm not staying there without doing something for you too."

"Fine by me," Roxas said shrugging. There was a smirk on his face, but it quickly disappeared when he remembered something. "By the way... Naminé, Larxene told me to tell you that she's forcing you to take a vacation for a week or two."

"What?" Naminé's heart sank. "She can't do that!"

"Why not?" Roxas shot back. "Naminé, with the way you were today, you could have hurt someone or yourself. Just take a break for a few days. Larxene's just worried."

Naminé laughed without humour. "Larxene? Worried?"

"Naminé... What harm can a few days off do?"

"A lot! How am I supposed to repay you for letting me and Hope stay at your house?" Naminé cried.

"You don't have to, you know," Roxas assured her.

"I want to," Naminé muttered stubbornly, crossing her arms. Her eyes lit up when she thought of a great idea. "I know! You said one of your maids retired, right?"

"Right..." Roxas said slowly, a bit wary of what Naminé thought up.

"I can be your live-in maid!"

There was only silence in the room for a minute.

"Naminé, are you kidding?" Roxas asked, looking skeptical. "Have you ever been a maid in your life?"

"How hard can it be?" Naminé asked, dismissing Roxas's concerns with a wave of her hand. "You just clean things. Besides, this is the perfect way to pay you back for letting Hope and I stay at your house!"

"You don't need to do anything," Roxas argued back.

"I _want_ to," Naminé said. She glared at Roxas, making him flinch. Naminé was like a stern but loving mother sometimes. It reminded him of Olette. "I am not taking advantage of your kindness."

"You are not – " Roxas began. But he was cut off by Naminé holding up her hand, clearly not backing down. After a brief glaring contest, Roxas sighed and said, "Fine, you can be my live-in maid in exchange for living in my house. Despite the fact that it is completely unnecessary."

Naminé ignored the last part, choosing to hug Roxas instead. "Perfect! Thank you so much, Roxas!"

* * *

_I feel like this chapter didn't have a very good flow... Hmm... I might come back and edit this._

_Anyway. This chapter and I had an epic battle these past two weeks. It just wouldn't come out right! Everything I wrote felt so awkward... XD But I wanted to get this chapter up before you guys decide to break down my door with torches and pitchforks so yeah... I have no excuse for my lateness except for laziness and procrastination. But I am a professional procrastinator. ;) And I was feeding my K-Pop obsession._

_By the way, I will** never** give up on this story. Even if it takes me a year to update, I **will** update._

_Things pick up in this chapter too. Well... sort of. Everything will become exciting and dramatic when Naminé's fiance comes back in about eleven or so chapters. Just be patient. :) And what do you think of Olette's introduction?_

_Oh, and in case you were wondering... Naminé is 23, Hope is 4, Roxas and Sora are both 25 and Kairi is also 23. Also, Naminé does not have a university diploma, but her story will be explained later._

_- Misora_

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER : **Baby Steps


	6. Baby Steps

**Disclaimer: (Insert witty disclaimer here.)**

* * *

_SIX : _Baby Steps

* * *

"_So_..." Sora grinned. "I heard you're letting Naminé stay with you."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "She's just my new maid, Sora. Besides, Dad would never allow it."

"Which makes it so much more romantic.." Kairi sighed, looking misty-eyed.

The three of them were at a coffee shop, enjoying the first time all three of them had some free time to meet. Kairi had been the one to call him, claiming they never saw each other and they needed to catch up. Roxas suspected it was just because she wanted to interrogate him about Naminé, and was ready to refuse when the redhead launched into a depressing spiel about how lonely she was and how much she missed him, and so on.

Somehow, Roxas ended up saying yes.

He blamed it on Kairi and her manipulative ways.

"Anyway," Kairi suddenly said, speaking up for the first time since he got here, "we have important matters to discuss."

"Oh boy," Roxas muttered, trying to stall by drinking his coffee very slowly.

It was all in vain. Kairi's eyes narrowed. "Don't stall mister!"

Roxas groaned. He loved Kairi like a sister, but she had a tendency to meddle and exaggerate things. He wouldn't be surprised if she already had his wedding all planned out.

"What is going on with you and Naminé?" Kairi's blue eyes sparkled mischievously.

"Nothing is going on, Kairi," Roxas insisted, looking annoyed. Luckily, he had the perfect excuse. "Maria retired, so I hired her as my live-in maid. And since she needed a place to stay, it was perfect."

Kairi narrowed her eyes, but seemed to accept it. At least, that's what someone who hadn't known Kairi for nearly twenty years would think. Both Sora and Roxas were specialized in what they had dubbed, "Kairi-speak," and Roxas knew this was her way of saying, "_It'll do... for now._"

Sora's eyes darted back and forth between his wife and brother as he slurped his smoothie. He hated coffee with a passion, so he ate sugar to help him stay awake. "You guys are like a bad sitcom."

"And you know this how?" Roxas questioned, raising an eyebrow at his brother.

"That doesn't matter," Sora answered quickly, his eyes avoiding Roxas's.

"Sora's right," Kairi added. She pointed her finger at Roxas, looking smug for some reason. "And you will fall for Naminé, Mr. I-Don't-Need-Love. Trust me."

"That's crazy," Roxas objected. "Naminé and I are just friends."

"For now."

* * *

The next few days were pretty hectic for Naminé.

Despite the fact that they didn't have much things, it was still chaotic when Naminé and Hope moved into Roxas's mansion. It also didn't help when Kairi decided to buy brand new furniture for the both of them, which resulted in a little mix-up.

Hope loved the mansion, of course. He was a bit wary of Roxas at first, but quickly warmed up to him, and Roxas acted like an older brother or a father figure for Hope. Kairi and Sora also met Hope for the first time, but Naminé didn't tell them about her sad love life. Both promptly fell to pieces when they met Hope, which made Naminé feel a little smug.

After Naminé was finished moving in, Kairi insisted on taking her shopping, refusing to take no for an answer. After Naminé agreed, Kairi spent nearly the entire shopping trip babbling on and on about how "moving into his house is a big step in your relationship" and how they should control their sexual urges because "there was a child living there."

Naminé had never been more embarrassed in her life.

But she enjoyed Kairi's company. The redhead was quickly becoming one of her best friends.

That was a day ago. Now, Naminé was wandering around Hikari Manor, hopelessly lost.

"There should be maps and _You Are Here_ signs in this place," Naminé muttered to herself. She was trying to find the maid Roxas had told her would help her get settled. "Where is Olette?"

Hope was with Aerith again. Naminé figured that having a four-year-old running around the mansion wouldn't make her job any easier. Not to mention, she saw quite a few breakable (and expensive) things during her tour.

Naminé wondered what Olette was like. In her mind, she pictured a cold, no nonsense woman who was ruthless and brutal and did not tolerate laziness.

Blame all the books she read as a kid.

After getting lost once, asking several other workers, and just generally wandering all over the place, Naminé finally found Olette in the large, old fashioned drawing room.

Olette turned out to be a rather pretty woman with wispy brown curls and green eyes. She had a sweet smile, but gave off a stern, _don't-mess-with-me-or-else_ vibe. She didn't look like she could breathe fire. In fact, she looked really friendly and polite dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt.

"You must be the new maid! My name is Olette," she said, sticking her hand out for Naminé to shake.

"Nice to meet you, Olette," Naminé said, smiling. She was very nervous, but Olette seemed like a nice person.

"Roxas told me you have no experience, so you can just do some easy jobs to start off." Olette dusted off her hands and adjusted her apron, leading Naminé to a small closet near the kitchen. "All of the cleaning supplies are in here. Except sprays and stuff. We separate them and keep them in the kitchen."

The door to the closet was wide open, revealing a small, dark room filled with mops and buckets and brooms. It smelled heavily of cleaning chemicals left on the supplies.

"What do you need me to do?" Naminé asked, trying her best to ignore the scent of cleaning supplies.

Olette tapped her chin, looking around as if searching for something for Naminé to clean. Then, her eyes brightened. "Can you clean Roxas's room for me? I would do it myself but one of the other maids is out sick and I have to cover for her."

Naminé's face instantly flushed at the thought of Roxas's room. _No, Naminé_, she mentally scolded. _It's just business._

"_It's a huge step in your relationship!"_

_Get out of my head, Kairi._

"Naminé?" Naminé blinked at Olette, who was staring at her with a curious expression on her face. "You spaced out."

"Sorry." Naminé felt her blush deepen. "I was thinking."

"A little embarrassed?" Olette looked sympathetic. "I was at first. But don't worry about it. It's just business, right? And besides, Roxas's room might as well be a hotel room. There's not really anything personal in there."

"Alright," Naminé said after a moment of hesitation, taking the proper cleaning tools from Olette. And after a quick trip to the kitchen to get some detergents, Naminé was walking up the endless stairs to Roxas's room, cursing him for not installing an elevator. Olette led the way so Naminé wouldn't get lost again.

"Here we are," Olette said cheerfully, stopping in front of a pair of double doors at the end of a hall. She opened them with a flourish, stepping aside to allow Naminé to go in. "You just need to straighten things out. It shouldn't take you long."

Naminé looked around, surprised at the relative neatness of Roxas's room. The bed was slightly messy, and there were some things scattered on his desk, but otherwise, the room looked spotless. "Wow."

"Have fun!" Olette said, but not in a sarcastic way. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

"Can you have fun cleaning?" Naminé wondered as Olette's footsteps faded away. "Well, I better get to it."

Naminé decided to start with the bed, since it was probably the messiest thing in the room. In a few minutes, the covers were straight and she was done. "This isn't so bad," Naminé thought aloud. "It's even easier than cleaning up after Hope. Yeah, I can totally do this! I can pay off my debt to Roxas!"

Naminé spent the next thirty minutes or so in Roxas's room, dusting, sweeping and just generally cleaning. She didn't really want to look inside his drawers though, so she left them as they were. Naminé continuously talked to herself or hummed so she didn't feel so alone. It felt strange to just work by herself. She was used to Axel's sarcastic remarks, the sound of cooking coming from the kitchens and idle chatter.

"Almost done." Naminé cheered internally as she dusted the nightstand, the last thing she had to do. "I wonder what I have to do – "

Naminé gasped and caught the picture frame before it could fall to the floor and shatter. "Thank goodness," she sighed, setting it back on the nightstand. "I thought it – Wait a minute..."

Naminé blinked and brought the picture closer to her face. "Why are there two Roxases?"

The picture showed a small group of people who looked to be in their late teens or early twenties. The background looked a lot like The World that Never Was. Naminé could recognize Sora, as well as Roxas. But the thing that was strange was that Roxas was in the picture twice. There was a darker haired Sora too.

Naminé took the picture out of the picture frame to get a closer look. She noticed that, on the back, _'Sora, Roxas, Ventus, Vanitas and Xion at The World that Never Was. Go rich kids!'_ was written. Naminé couldn't help but sigh when she saw that _'Go rich kids!'_ was written in Axel's handwriting.

_They must be Roxas and Sora's siblings,_ she thought.

Naminé smiled at the obvious happiness on Roxas's face, even if it was hard to tell with the annoyance. "He must really love his siblings," she said to herself, picking up the picture frame. But as Naminé did, another piece of paper fell out.

It was another picture, but instead of just the Hikari kids, Kairi, Axel and some other people were also included. Naminé picked it up and turned it around to see if there was something written on the back too.

There was. Only it was _'The Hikaris and friends: Kairi (Sora's future wife), Axel (Go Axel!), and Riku (Mr. Suave).'_

_Oh... God..._

* * *

Roxas expected to come home to silence, as per usual. So he was really surprised when he heard the sound of talking coming from the kitchen. He could also smell something cooking, which confused him even more.

"Naminé?" Roxas asked, entering the spacious kitchen. "Are you cooking?"

"Ah, Roxas!" Naminé spun around to face her employer, a bright smile on her face and a spatula in her hand. "Welcome back."

Roxas sniffed the air. "What's that smell?"

"Food! Look Roxas! It's in the pan thingy!" Hope exclaimed cutely. He was about to grab the pan to show Roxas, but Naminé swatted his hand away.

"Careful," she warned. "You'll get burned."

Roxas couldn't help but smile a bit at the obvious display of love between a mother and her son. Growing up, he never had a mother or a father. Well he had an actual father, but he wasn't a good one. The maids and butlers were probably the closest things to a parent Roxas and his siblings had. Sad, but true.

"Go set the table, Hope," Naminé ordered gently. Hope nodded, clearly eager to help. There were plates set out on the table already, but poor Hope was too short to reach them.

"Ugh!" Hope grunted, trying to reach at least one plate. Suddenly, another pair of arms picked up the stack and placed it in his arms with ease. Hope smiled up at Roxas. "Thank you Roxas!"

Roxas smiled at the adorable four-year-old. "No problem kid."

Hope pouted, reminding Roxas of Sora. Only it was cuter on Hope. "Don't call me 'kid'!"

"Alright kid." Roxas chuckled at Hope's expression. "By the way, don't you have to set the table?"

Hope's eyes widened, his anger at Roxas momentarily forgotten. "Oh yeah!"

"Need some help?" Roxas asked as he watched Hope try (and fail) to put a plate on the tall table. He made a mental note to change the dining furniture to something shorter, especially if Hope was going to live in the mansion.

Hope shook his head. "I don't need any help!"

Roxas rolled his eyes good-naturally, taking the plates from Hope despite the younger boy's protests. Naminé looked over and smiled when she saw the two boys play fighting, both completely forgetting to set the table.

Roxas would make a good father, she thought in amusement. Naminé finished cooking and served the food, shouting, "Dinner's ready!"

And for the first time in a long time, Hikari Manor was filled with laughter.

* * *

_*emo corner* Why am I so bad at updating..._

_Well anyway. Glad you guys are still following this story despite the fact that I take forever to update. This chapter was relatively boring, wasn't it? And I know you guys want me to get on with the fluff, right? Well too bad! :p I am a firm believer that true love takes a while to develop. So yeah. Roxas and Naminé won't be making out in the next few chapters._

_But of course, they won't stay friends forever. Kairi is involved, remember? :D_

_I have half of the next chapter finished, so the next update might come faster. Let's aim for next Sunday! Can't guarantee anything though, since I recently got Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance. :D_

_Oh, and to** animeluv3** (and whoever else cares), my favourite K-Pop group is Block B, with BIGBANG in second, my bias is Zico from Block B and don't worry; you can have T.O.P. I prefer G-Dragon. :p If you want to talk K-Pop, just PM me! I don't mind. In fact, I have no life and I'm very lonely, so everyone PM me! :D I don't bite! Much. XP_

_- Misora_

_P.S. Guys if you want to ask me a question or you want to know when Blue Skies or any of my other stories will be update, just check my tumblr! It's still new though, so it's probably really boring. Link is on my profile~ :D_

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER: **Wherever the Wind Blows


	7. Wherever the Wind Blows

**Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah.**

* * *

_SEVEN : _Wherever the Wind Blows

* * *

"Is Roxas close with his siblings?"

Kairi turned to face Naminé, confused. "What do you mean?"

The two girls were currently shopping, Kairi making good of her promises. It was a very warm Saturday, one of the few days when work back at the mansion was relatively slow so Naminé had something akin to a day off. She thought it would be a good time to visit The World that Never Was, but Kairi had intercepted her and dragged her shopping.

Naminé adjusted the bags in her arms. Most of them were filled with things Kairi bought for her, despite her many protests and attempts to pay. "Well, I haven't really seen any of Roxas's other siblings. Do they get along?"

"Of course they get along," Kairi said, smiling. "Sure they fight all the time, but they do love each other. I think."

"You think?" Naminé raised an eyebrow. "And they fight all the time? How is that love?"

"Well..." Kairi trailed off. "You have to know them. I'm sure Roxas will introduce you to them one day. You're friends, aren't you?"

"Yeah, of course," Naminé said. "I just want to know what to expect. Roxas hardly ever talks about them. I don't even know their names."

"There's Vanitas, Ventus, and Xion," Kairi listed. "You already know Sora."

"Why aren't there more pictures in his house?" Naminé asked. Her arms felt like they were going to fall off, but Kairi looked fine. _Shopping should be an Olympic sport. Or at least shopping with Kairi._

"Don't ask me," Kairi said. She was searching for something in her purse and stopped in front of the food court. "Here, hold this."

"Hey, wait—" Kairi either didn't hear her or ignored her, dumping her fifty-something bags in Naminé's arms. Naminé winced as several of them dropped on the floor, the contents spilling out. Luckily, no one walked on them, but the clothes were probably ruined.

"Ah-ha!" Kairi exclaimed, pulling out her cell phone. It was vibrating and ringing, the ring tone a song with strange words in the beginning. The words almost sounded backwards, but with the loud chatter, Naminé couldn't hear very well. "Here it is!"

As Kairi took the call, Naminé picked the clothes off the floor. Most of them had a little dirt on them, and since a large majority was white, the smudges stood out. And what sucked even more was the clothes were for her.

"That was just Sora." Kairi had a strange expression on her face. "I have to go. Do you need a ride?"

"Go where?" Naminé asked, curiosity piped. She desperately hoped she wouldn't have to walk home with all the bags.

_Home._ Since when did she start referring to Roxas's mansion as her home?

Kairi hesitated, taking some bags from Naminé. "To visit Ventus."

Naminé nodded. She really wanted to go visit Roxas's brother too (especially if Ventus was the one who looked more like Roxas than his actual twin), but she had a feeling she wasn't welcomed. "Is Ventus the one who looks a lot like Roxas?" she asked.

Kairi nodded. "Yep. Strange, huh? All the boys look like their dad, but they have different hair and eye colours."

"What's Ventus like?" Naminé asked. She wanted to know more about Roxas's look-a-like.

"He's very nice," Kairi said, tapping at her phone, somehow not dropping a single bag. "A lot like Sora, actually. Just picture a quieter Sora who looks like Roxas."

"That is so ironic," Naminé said, laughing. The automatic doors opened—well, automatically as they stepped outside. Spots danced in Naminé's vision for second as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. "I'm having a hard time picturing that."

Kairi grinned. A sleek black car pulled up to the curb and the driver got out to take their bags. At first, Naminé thought the driver and the car was kind of excess, but Kairi never got her license. Something about crashing into the side of a building and damaging school property.

The ride home was relatively quiet, Kairi adsorbed in her phone and the driver staying quiet in the front. Naminé just allowed herself to relax and sink into the plush seats. Her entire body ached from strain. Being a maid was hard work.

"Do you want to meet Ven?" Kairi asked suddenly.

"Well, if it's okay," Naminé said, hesitant.

Kairi shrugged, not as cheery as before. "You'd find out sooner or later. Might as well be sooner."

Naminé frowned, not liking the way Kairi phrased it. _Find out? Not meet? Find out what? What Ventus is like?_

The rest of the ride was entirely silent. Only the sounds of the city outside the car. Kairi occasionally twitched and fidgeted, like she was regretting asking Naminé to come along. Finally, the car pulled to a stop, the engine shutting off without a sound. The doors swung open, and Naminé looked up at the building with increasing dread.

"Kairi, why are we at a hospital?"

* * *

The private room was near silent, the only noise being the steady beep of the heart monitor and the breathing of the room's occupants. Quiet wasn't something Roxas associated with his siblings, but it was the only word he could use to describe everyone at the moment.

"He's in stable condition," the doctor told Roxas. "He hasn't gotten worse, which is good, but he also hasn't gotten better."

"But he will get better, right?" Sora asked, his tone hopeful. "He will wake up, right?"

The doctor looked between the two brothers. "Maybe," he said. But he sounded doubtful. "But the accident was very bad. The chances he will ever wake up are slim."

Roxas looked down at the hospital bed. Blond hair spiked upwards much like his own, blue eyes hidden by closed eyelids, and pale skin dotted with scars. He wanted to believe Ventus was just sleeping, but he wasn't delusional.

Wilted flowers and cards were left on the bedside table. Some of them were from Roxas himself, but most were from Ven's co-workers. Naturally, none of them were from their father.

"What kind of father never visits his comatose son?" Roxas spat out once the doctor was out of the room.

Sora, from his chair beside their brother's bed, looked up at Roxas, his blue eyes sad and defeated. For once, Sora looked like the older twin he was. "Roxas, not now."

There was a knock on the door, snapping Roxas out of his fuming. He was about to open it when the door was all but thrown open, nearly hitting him in the face. Kairi, dragging and arguing with Naminé, stepped inside.

"Kairi!" Naminé cried, looking like she would rather be anywhere but here. She caught sight of Roxas standing dumbfounded by the door and blushed. "Roxas, I am _so_ sorry. I completely understand if you kick me out."

"Oh, relax, Naminé!" Kairi exclaimed. She seemed unusually excited. Normally, she was a lot sadder when visiting.. "You wanted to meet Ventus, didn't you?"

"Not while he's in a coma!" wailed Naminé. "This is private; I shouldn't intrude."

"No one's going to mind. Besides, I already consider you family!" But regardless, Kairi stopped tugging Naminé. The blonde stood in the doorway, looking awkward and out-of-place. She kept looking from face to face, almost as if she was seriously expecting someone to kick her out.

"I suppose I should go," Naminé muttered, moving to leave. She stopped when Roxas grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"It's fine," he said. "Just stay. None of us mind, and I think Ven would want to meet you."

"I want to meet him too," Naminé said honestly. "But I want to meet him when I can talk to him and see what he's like."

Roxas didn't say anything in response, but Naminé had a feeling he was thinking something like, _That might never happen. _She wanted to console him, but what could she say, especially since she didn't know what happened.

"Is there anything to eat?" Sora asked. As if on cue, his stomach growled loudly.

"I'll get some food." Naminé seemed relieved to have something to do. She nearly ran out of the room, probably heading to the cafeteria.

"You're such a pig, Sora," Kairi said. It lacked her usual sarcastic bite, though. "What did the doctor say?"

"He's stable." Here Roxas hesitated. "He hasn't gotten worse, but he also hasn't gotten better."

No one spoke. Kairi played with her blood-red hair, biting her lip. "Where's Vanitas?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Roxas jerked his head towards the door. "He left already. A long time ago. At least that's what the nurses said. You never know with Vanitas."

Kairi nodded, not knowing what else to say, something that rarely happened with her. The room descended into silence once again, except for the occasional growls of Sora's stomach and the beeping that told them Ventus was still alive.

Sora sighed. He wanted to believe his big brother would wake up, but with every day that passed, it seemed more and more unlikely. "We have to go now. Call us if something changes, okay, Roxas?"

Roxas frowned. "If you have to leave, why did you ask Naminé to go get some food?"

"She looked like she didn't want to be here." Sora grinned, unashamed. "And I really am hungry!"

Roxas shook his head, but there was a smile on his face. Despite his goofy and childish nature, Sora was extremely good at reading people. When they were younger, he always knew when Roxas was sad or angry.

It was very irritating.

"Bye Roxas," Kairi said, smiling. "Tell Naminé I'm sorry I'm ditching her."

Roxas nodded. The two left, but not without Kairi placing a motherly kiss on Ventus's forehead. It was something left over from their childhood. When Kairi had found out they didn't have a mother, she became a sort of "mother" to him and his siblings, despite being younger than all of them. Roxas had a feeling Kairi wanted children of her own, and they were practice.

"Oh, did Sora and Kairi leave?" _Speaking of mothers..._

Roxas turned to face Naminé. She had a tray in her hands, stacked with food, and a disappointed look on her face. "Yeah. Kairi says sorry for ditching you, by the way."

Naminé made a face. "She left me to lug back all our shopping bags? Evil witch."

Roxas chuckled. It sounded like something his sister-in-law would do. "Poor you. I hope you don't expect help."

"You're evil too." Namien glared at him, but it was more playful than anything else. Besides, Roxas doubted Naminé could hurt a fly.

She was too sweet. Even now, she looked at Ventus like it was her brother in his place.

Roxas had no doubt Naminé would make a good wife someday.

* * *

The rest of the visit didn't last long. A young nurse entered a little while after and all but kicked them out, stating visiting hours were over. Roxas was prepared to argue, but Naminé dragged him away.

"Let's _go_, Roxas," Naminé said, a threatening tone in her voice. "There's no need to get into a fight here."

She dragged him out of the hospital, ignoring all the looks they were getting from the people in the waiting room. Some women put their heads together and whispered, occasionally giggling and stealing glances of him and Naminé.

Roxas groaned. Just what he needed. Rumors.

"I don't get why it was so important," Naminé said, getting into Roxas's black Mercedes. She was shocked it was already dark out. Did she and Kairi shop for that long? "Can't you just visit him another time?"

Roxas tried not to get too mad at Naminé, but it was hard. "I can't. I'm too busy any other day. Vanitas might control the company, but our dad still has some power. He works us to the bone."

Naminé frowned. "You have no time to visit your brother, who is in a coma? Is your dad really like that?"

"Welcome to my world," Roxas muttered angrily. He was gripping the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles turned white.

Naminé stared at the lights of Radiant Garden as they drove back to the mansion. The castle was lit up with spotlights—like it always was—the Kingdom Hearts building towering over it like a knight protecting his king. "I'm sure Ventus will get better," she said, regretting the words instantly. "I-I mean—"

"It's fine," Roxas interrupted. He sounded tired. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay." Naminé looked up at the sky, trying to spot stars. It was something she always did with her mother when she was alive. They made it like a compitetion, trying to see who could find the most. Twilight Town—the town Naminé grew up in—wasn't as polluted as Radiant Garden was, but that didn't mean it didn't have any pollution.

But it was even worse in Radiant Garden. Naminé couldn't even spot one star.

Roxas looked straight ahead, but Naminé had a feeling he wasn't really focused. She felt really sorry for him. He was forced to just wait. He couldn't do anything to help his brother.

"I have to pick up Hope first," Naminé said quietly. Roxas jumped a little, and she got the feeling that he had forgotten she was even here.

"Fine," Roxas said. "Where is he?"

"At Aertih's. She takes care of him for me."

They were relatively far away from Aerith's, but Naminé figured it would give them time to talk. She just didn't know the right words to say, besides telling Roxas where to turn. Everything either sounded too fake or would make him angry.

"Do you know why I named Hope, Hope?" she asked suddenly. Roxas raised a blond eyebrow, confused, but he didn't say anything. Naminé took that as a cue to go on. "Well, my fiancé left me, my family wanted nothing to do with me, I had no money... Nothing seemed to be going right. But Hope cheered me up. He reminded me that my life isn't over. That I have something to live for. He gave me hope."

For a minute, Roxas didn't say anything. He seemed to be in deep thought. "That is so cheesy," he finally said.

"Hey!" Naminé slapped his arm, but she was smiling, glad Roxas was back to normal. Mostly. She wondered if he was always like this when he went to visit Ventus.

"It's just..." Roxas hesitated, stopping at a red light. "It's been ten months. The doctors are suggesting we take him off life support. He hasn't shown any signs of waking up."

"What happened?" Naminé asked. She wondered if she went too far, but Roxas didn't seem angry.

"It was a car crash." The light turned green. "It... it was horrible, Naminé. A drunk driver knocked him off the road. His car flipped a few times before falling into a ditch. Luckily someone was passing by and managed to call the police. Otherwise, he would have died for sure. The doctors said he was lucky to be alive."

The rest of the car ride was silent.

* * *

_Well, that was a depressing—but long—chapter. Sorry for taking so long. I recently got strep throat. How? Your guess is as good as mine. Hopefully, the length (six pages, guys!) makes up for the delay. :) I don't really like the quality though, and I feel like I switch tenses and point of views in my writing. Grr. By the way, did you guys know "alright" isn't acceptable English? So now I have to switch to "all right", which is the proper term._

_So Ventus makes his début. Kind of. He does play a big role in the future. And a lot of people mention Vanitas, who will be making his début next chapter. And of course, Naminé's fiancé (his identity, most of you probably know. By the way, does anyone know how to properly spell "fiancé"? The spell-checker on Google Chrome says it's wrong without the accent, but the spell-checker on LibreOffice says it's wrong with the accent) and the last of the Hikari siblings will be making their débuts in five chapters._

_Look forward to that._

_By the way... I was wondering what you guys think I'm like in real life. Without looking at my profile, where I did list some of my traits._

_(All of you are probably going to put lazy.)_

_- Misora_

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER : **Burn Out


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